The setting of the hotel is like nowhere else on Earth – how did you come to run such a beautiful hotel in this part of Finnish Lapland?
It wasn’t a hard decision – actually, the land was in my wife’s family and this is the village where they lived. My family comes from Lapland, but 200km away. There’s some history going back to the 1940s, an uncle had a stable for the horses and the CEO of the Finnish Ski Association came and said to put in another storey for skiers to stay. It was then one room for women, another for men, and that’s how the first hotel ‘Humina’ was born.
In this area in the 80s everyone had rooms where people stayed – what nowadays you’d call Airbnb. We continued to do that and kept up the tradition of this style of hospitality.
It wasn’t a hard decision – actually, the land was in my wife’s family and this is the village where they lived. My family comes from Lapland, but 200km away. There’s some history going back to the 1940s, an uncle had a stable for the horses and the CEO of the Finnish Ski Association came and said to put in another storey for skiers to stay. It was then one room for women, another for men, and that’s how the first hotel ‘Humina’ was born.
In this area in the 80s everyone had rooms where people stayed – what nowadays you’d call Airbnb. We continued to do that and kept up the tradition of this style of hospitality.
The meaning of 'humina'
The name 'humina' comes from when they first built the hotel and the wooden planks hadn't yet settled, meaning the wind whipped around the rooms. The sound it made as it whistled through is called 'humina'.
And how long have you been welcoming Inntravel guests for? How did you begin working with Inntravel?
For more than 20 years, maybe even for 25 years! Initially for cross-country skiing then it changed a bit in the early 2000s when people wanted to do other activities, so we started the safari company.
What’s the most popular activity?
Snowmobiling, husky-sledding, and reindeer… the classics!
We understand you have a lot of repeat guests – what do you think it is that draws people back year after year? What do they say about their stay with you?
I think that, I hope, we try to be in contact with every guest. We are here for them and always trying to give good service. Some people have been coming for 30 years – we always try to do something new every year, doesn’t have to be big changes, we want then to feel comfortable but little things to make their time here all the better.
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We knew from the start that there has to be something Lappish in it.
What’s the most popular room type guests stay in?
I would say it varies. That’s why we have these four categories, but that’s also a good thing as people have the choice. Some guests come just for the standard room, others for apartments.
The standards are the type of rooms we started with and the layout has been the same for 40 years, but of course we have made some upgrades. The idea with our hotel rooms is that they are situated in log houses, it’s a bit different. We knew from the start that there has to be something Lappish in it.
After a few years, we bought the apartments, to have your own space, sauna, and are suitable for families. Then 15 years ago, we did our first superior house, and these are more luxurious and give you the feeling of being in Finnish and Lappish – everything is Finnish except the TV! You have these small luxurious details.
The suites are not so different, they’re the same size with different features and a bath and the room separated from the lounge room.
The standards are the type of rooms we started with and the layout has been the same for 40 years, but of course we have made some upgrades. The idea with our hotel rooms is that they are situated in log houses, it’s a bit different. We knew from the start that there has to be something Lappish in it.
After a few years, we bought the apartments, to have your own space, sauna, and are suitable for families. Then 15 years ago, we did our first superior house, and these are more luxurious and give you the feeling of being in Finnish and Lappish – everything is Finnish except the TV! You have these small luxurious details.
The suites are not so different, they’re the same size with different features and a bath and the room separated from the lounge room.
What’s special about Finnish Lapland?
This village has always been a living Lappish village, it’s not built for tourism, it’s still a local village. Then of course we have the surrounding seven fells which makes it very different to other places and most of the area around us is national park, and that gives us a special status for outdoor activities. In just a few minutes and you’re out it he park skiing.
This village has always been a living Lappish village, it’s not built for tourism, it’s still a local village. Then of course we have the surrounding seven fells which makes it very different to other places and most of the area around us is national park, and that gives us a special status for outdoor activities. In just a few minutes and you’re out it he park skiing.
How is it different to a ski resort in the Alps?
This is a very typical Lappish landscape – it’s open, wide, not crowded – you don’t have any kind of centre, it’s all spread out. I think that’s the main difference.
What can guests expect?
For people who come here for the first time, we try to give them as much information as possible. We have the reception, ski service, we’re here in the mornings to talk to people, and the area itself is very safe. The tracks, the routes, everything is so well marked.
This is a very easy and safe place to come as first timer.
This is a very easy and safe place to come as first timer.
How do the months compare?
Well, that’s the interesting thing in Lapland. It’s a different experience even just during wintertime. You can have different weather and daytime. We ‘lose’ the sun around 20 to 25 November then we have two months of what we call kaamos, which means the sun is not above the horizon.
But it’s not dark, we still have daylight between 10am and 2:30pm so there’s plenty of time to do everything. This is a special time, of course. We have guests coming only for this season. Many people come back just for January which is known to be the coldest month and shortest daylight but they like it. You sure do sleep very well!
But it’s not dark, we still have daylight between 10am and 2:30pm so there’s plenty of time to do everything. This is a special time, of course. We have guests coming only for this season. Many people come back just for January which is known to be the coldest month and shortest daylight but they like it. You sure do sleep very well!
What type of dishes/cuisine do you serve?
Let’s say, 20 years ago there was a lot of talk about using local but we’ve been doing that since the beginning. When I say local I mean 60-70km. Our kitchen is absolutely thinking local, and every Wednesday for over 30 years we hold a Lappish dinner we have salmon soup, reindeer meat, and cold dishes just made for us – we came up with special products with reindeer herders for example.
And your favourite activity?
If you’d asked me 20 years ago, probably something different. I still do like to go out skiing, I used to do it quite a lot, including downhill skiing as I used to guide quite a lot too. Now I’m working more, but I still like to get out.
When we started working with Inntravel all the skiing tours were guided, but we soon realised you don’t need a guide as the trails are so well maintained and signposted. In the reception you can sign up for longer tours of 50km a day, or even take a transfer and ski 20km back. And with the ski bus you can go to the other side of the fell too.
Thank you, Toivo!
When we started working with Inntravel all the skiing tours were guided, but we soon realised you don’t need a guide as the trails are so well maintained and signposted. In the reception you can sign up for longer tours of 50km a day, or even take a transfer and ski 20km back. And with the ski bus you can go to the other side of the fell too.
Thank you, Toivo!